[Support] Linuxserver.io - Kodi-Headless


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On 1/20/2021 at 11:34 AM, saarg said:

 

Doesn't look like you read it all. Do you see the issues closed at the bottom?

Is there anything you need in the newer releases that affect the headless function?

I stand "haf-corrected". After going deeper into discussions there it seems some work is happening behind the doors. 

And that is why "half". There was nothing published since about a year.  So it does not look like it's beeing maintained from user perspective. 

Do I need something from 18.9 ? Yes all. 

Headless server in my case is (as in most I guess) used to scan media, update database and download all what's needed for proper looks on clients.  Since it's not the only device that scans and updates database and there are differences in this part between versions, I prefere to keep it aligned with all other clients in the house. 
Also code usually is beeing updated for security reasons, so keeping up with last version is advised. 

Last but not least - addon compatibility between clients and headless is also important for me...

 

Anyway, question was not about what I need, but if it's maintained (regardless of my reasons). 

And the answer it seems is not straightforward.

 

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2 hours ago, Grzywa said:

I stand "haf-corrected". After going deeper into discussions there it seems some work is happening behind the doors. 

And that is why "half". There was nothing published since about a year.  So it does not look like it's beeing maintained from user perspective. 

Do I need something from 18.9 ? Yes all. 

Headless server in my case is (as in most I guess) used to scan media, update database and download all what's needed for proper looks on clients.  Since it's not the only device that scans and updates database and there are differences in this part between versions, I prefere to keep it aligned with all other clients in the house. 
Also code usually is beeing updated for security reasons, so keeping up with last version is advised. 

Last but not least - addon compatibility between clients and headless is also important for me...

 

Anyway, question was not about what I need, but if it's maintained (regardless of my reasons). 

And the answer it seems is not straightforward.

 

To be honest, I would recommend you to switch the backend. The kodi way just creates issues and the eternal update the database stuff.

Do yourself a favour and switch to emby or Plex as the database. After I switched to emby and used the emby plugin, I haven't had any issues. I have completely stopped using kodi also now, as I use the emby clients. But then you have to pay for premiere.

 

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22 minutes ago, saarg said:

To be honest, I would recommend you to switch the backend. The kodi way just creates issues and the eternal update the database stuff.

Do yourself a favour and switch to emby or Plex as the database. After I switched to emby and used the emby plugin, I haven't had any issues. I have completely stopped using kodi also now, as I use the emby clients. But then you have to pay for premiere.

 

I never had any issues with Kodi for years. I avoid different versions on my boxes. Same database since years now. All watched /unwatched /started stuff is there. I can't imagine to change platform at this point and clean the database. I like presentation and I have my favorite skin. Subtitle download plugins are a must for me. Today all my clients are on android tv boxes. 

I'm not sure if other solution will provide all that I got used to and I need. 

Also with plex I'm not sure if I'll get all the quality I need. As far as I underst it does transcoding for all streams. I'm huge audio maniac so it can't be transcoded or diminished in quality in any way. Apart of archive I use only Bluray 4k HDR (10+ or DV if possible). So the way kodi works playing directly files in full quality suits me. 

 

But just to be clear, you suggest to switch to plex as backend and kodi with plex plugin ? Or some other solution ? Or using thier apps directly on frontend ?

I guess for me main questions  about emby/ples/etc are:

full quality support (no transcoding) ?

subtitles how / what providers?

how good is music scraping and organisation ?

And - privacy ! What they share whd witht who ? - that's maybe biggest concern in todays climat 

 

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2 hours ago, Grzywa said:

 

I never had any issues with Kodi for years. I avoid different versions on my boxes. Same database since years now. All watched /unwatched /started stuff is there. I can't imagine to change platform at this point and clean the database. I like presentation and I have my favorite skin. Subtitle download plugins are a must for me. Today all my clients are on android tv boxes. 

I'm not sure if other solution will provide all that I got used to and I need. 

Also with plex I'm not sure if I'll get all the quality I need. As far as I underst it does transcoding for all streams. I'm huge audio maniac so it can't be transcoded or diminished in quality in any way. Apart of archive I use only Bluray 4k HDR (10+ or DV if possible). So the way kodi works playing directly files in full quality suits me. 

 

But just to be clear, you suggest to switch to plex as backend and kodi with plex plugin ? Or some other solution ? Or using thier apps directly on frontend ?

I guess for me main questions  about emby/ples/etc are:

full quality support (no transcoding) ?

subtitles how / what providers?

how good is music scraping and organisation ?

And - privacy ! What they share whd witht who ? - that's maybe biggest concern in todays climat 

 

You are still using kodi with emby as a backend. Emby deals with all scraping.

I have no idea about subtitle downloads as my rips is in either my native language or English.

 

You install a plugin in kodi that connects to emby and updates the library at startup.

 

There is no transcoding in emby or Plex unless your client doesn't support the format. As for privacy, emby will be the better option.

 

 

You will loose the watched status I think, unless you add trakt to kodi and sync your watched status to trakt and then add trakt to emby.

 

There is also a free option, jellyfin, but it lacks some clients, but I think they have for Android TV. Probably doesn't support skinning.

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16 hours ago, saarg said:

You are still using kodi with emby as a backend. Emby deals with all scraping.

I have no idea about subtitle downloads as my rips is in either my native language or English.

 

You install a plugin in kodi that connects to emby and updates the library at startup.

 

There is no transcoding in emby or Plex unless your client doesn't support the format. As for privacy, emby will be the better option.

 

 

You will loose the watched status I think, unless you add trakt to kodi and sync your watched status to trakt and then add trakt to emby.

 

There is also a free option, jellyfin, but it lacks some clients, but I think they have for Android TV. Probably doesn't support skinning.

 

Thx for your insites, a lot of good info.  

 

 

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saarg, or others, 

What apps, or how, do you install to get emby as backend? (Emby for Kodi docker?)

Then is front end Kodi?  If yes, which Kodi app do you install? (regular "Kodi" docker?)

 

I am starting new with Unraid, Emby Premiere, HD homerun w antenna, Usenet service and indexer, Sonarr, Radarr.  I am still learning how to install it all.  With all that, does Kodi have uses or advantages, or should I skip Kodi?

Edited by xrqp
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27 minutes ago, xrqp said:

saarg, or others, 

What apps, or how, do you install to get emby as backend? (Emby for Kodi docker?)

Then is front end Kodi?  If yes, which Kodi app do you install? (regular "Kodi" docker?)

 

I am starting new with Unraid, Emby Premiere, HD homerun w antenna, Usenet service and indexer, Sonarr, Radarr.  I am still learning how to install it all.  With all that, does Kodi have uses or advantages, or should I skip Kodi?

If you have emby premiere, then try the emby clients for the devices you are going to use and see if that works for you.

 

If you want to use emby as a backend and kodi as a front-end, you don't need this container. As for plugins in kodi for emby, there should be some emby documentation about it.

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saarg,

Thanks.  I think it will be easy to set up Emby clients, and that is what I planned on.  I was hoping for some help with the Unraid server.  When you wrote you use Emby back end, I assumed you were talking about your server.  If  yes, what did you install to get emby back end on your server?

 

If yes, what is your server front end, and what did you install to get it?

 

What I want to do is use my unraid machine, running 24/7, to:

1) record TV from HD Homerun.  I think Emby premiere includes TV guide for that.  So I guess I need to install an Emby docker.  Can I run Emby on the unraid machine to set up recordings?  

2) copy media from internet using Usenet, Sonarr, and Radarr.  I think I can do that following Space Invader 1 videos.

3) store it all on unraid, so I can access from clients, like new LG TV with emby app, or a TV with Nvidia Shield with Emby app.

4) Is there any reason to use Kodi?  I am not sure what more it does.

 

 

Edited by xrqp
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17 hours ago, xrqp said:

saarg,

Thanks.  I think it will be easy to set up Emby clients, and that is what I planned on.  I was hoping for some help with the Unraid server.  When you wrote you use Emby back end, I assumed you were talking about your server.  If  yes, what did you install to get emby back end on your server?

 

If yes, what is your server front end, and what did you install to get it?

 

What I want to do is use my unraid machine, running 24/7, to:

1) record TV from HD Homerun.  I think Emby premiere includes TV guide for that.  So I guess I need to install an Emby docker.  Can I run Emby on the unraid machine to set up recordings?  

2) copy media from internet using Usenet, Sonarr, and Radarr.  I think I can do that following Space Invader 1 videos.

3) store it all on unraid, so I can access from clients, like new LG TV with emby app, or a TV with Nvidia Shield with Emby app.

4) Is there any reason to use Kodi?  I am not sure what more it does.

 

 

You install our emby container. That's all you need.

 

You don't need kodi for anything. You can use the emby clients for most devices. You only need kodi if you want to customize the look or have client hardware where emby doesn't have a client available.

Edited by saarg
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I need a headless kodi install with VNC that I can view from multiple computers.

 

I tried installing this container as it looked like a perfect fit but can't figure it out.

 

When I open the VNC I am presented with a really strange GUI that is nothing like kodi on any of my other devices.

firefox_D8Y0Kt6VUJ.thumb.jpg.c9a1584efd493eadeedadeddebe65568.jpg

 

Vs all my other devices:

 

kodi-18-2-e1550206283796.thumb.jpg.e1c4b3d60755eeef4c79d46ea2e99b2e.jpg

 

 

The settings menu in particular is completely different. I can not find any place to scan a folder for media? It is also missing most of the settings options. How do I add media to this kodi?

 

275350511_Screenshot_2021-01-29Kodi.thumb.png.6776f488c5b654cdd34a4db87883178d.png

 

Is it possible to go to the stock kodi skin?

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37 minutes ago, TexasUnraid said:

I need a headless kodi install with VNC that I can view from multiple computers.

 

I tried installing this container as it looked like a perfect fit but can't figure it out.

 

When I open the VNC I am presented with a really strange GUI that is nothing like kodi on any of my other devices.

firefox_D8Y0Kt6VUJ.thumb.jpg.c9a1584efd493eadeedadeddebe65568.jpg

 

Vs all my other devices:

 

kodi-18-2-e1550206283796.thumb.jpg.e1c4b3d60755eeef4c79d46ea2e99b2e.jpg

 

 

The settings menu in particular is completely different. I can not find any place to scan a folder for media? It is also missing most of the settings options. How do I add media to this kodi?

 

275350511_Screenshot_2021-01-29Kodi.thumb.png.6776f488c5b654cdd34a4db87883178d.png

 

Is it possible to go to the stock kodi skin?

It's a headless install as in zero display. It's not possible to use vnc with this. What you're seeing is actually the native Kodi webui.

Edited by j0nnymoe
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40 minutes ago, TexasUnraid said:

ok, that explains that, does anyone know of a VNC kodi container?

 

What is this container used for exactly? seems kinda pointless to have a webui that can't add or mess with any media as a standalone container? Might as well connect to an existing install?

 

Read the readme on github for info about what this is.

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6 hours ago, TexasUnraid said:

ok, that explains that, does anyone know of a VNC kodi container?

 

What is this container used for exactly? seems kinda pointless to have a webui that can't add or mess with any media as a standalone container? Might as well connect to an existing install?

What do you want to do ? WIth headless and it's web ui you can do pretty much all. ANd you don't need any additional client turned on 24/7. As VM/Docker it's light efficient and can do same as normal client except watching videos...

 

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7 minutes ago, Grzywa said:

What do you want to do ? WIth headless and it's web ui you can do pretty much all. ANd you don't need any additional client turned on 24/7. As VM/Docker it's light efficient and can do same as normal client except watching videos...

 

That would be fine but how do you add media to it? The readme seems to say it only works with an SQL setup which I am not using.

 

Basically I want a way for people to be able to look through the media from the computers instead of burning in the TV looking at options on there endlessly lol.

 

Admittedly I didn't know that kodi had a web interface until now, I thought it was just some kind of remote control.

Edited by TexasUnraid
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10 hours ago, TexasUnraid said:

That would be fine but how do you add media to it? The readme seems to say it only works with an SQL setup which I am not using.

 

Basically I want a way for people to be able to look through the media from the computers instead of burning in the TV looking at options on there endlessly lol.

 

Admittedly I didn't know that kodi had a web interface until now, I thought it was just some kind of remote control.

Kodi headless is a hack to run kodi without the UI and is not officially supported.

You get much more features by using the available media servers like Plex, Emby and Jellyfin. They all have webuis that are well developed, as it is their main UI. Kodi is not a webui based UI, so the experience is not as good.

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2 hours ago, saarg said:

Kodi headless is a hack to run kodi without the UI and is not officially supported.

You get much more features by using the available media servers like Plex, Emby and Jellyfin. They all have webuis that are well developed, as it is their main UI. Kodi is not a webui based UI, so the experience is not as good.

Yeah, I don't need hardly any features, just the ability to add media and then be able to browse it. It is purely a way to keep the TV from getting burned in.

 

Kinda scary when the kids "used" it last and I turn it on to see clear burnt in ghosting of the title explore page.

 

The current webui would most likely work if I could add media to it.

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3 minutes ago, allanp81 said:

I use it with others that can use the API to kick off library scans. It works great. You can set up scripts yourself to do this if you want as it's fairly easy to use the API to do certain functions.

 

I can't even figure out how to setup a library much less scan it lol.

 

Thats all I need, to scan a library and then be able to browse it.

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1 minute ago, allanp81 said:

You need to use an SQL database to store your library otherwise I don't see why you would want to use this?

 

You can configure all of your sources on another kodi instance and then copy the sources.xml over to the docker container for the kodi headless.

 

It is strictly to browse media on the computers to prevent burn-in on the TV (old plasma TV I got for free with some horse trading that still looks better then any TV I have seen outside of OLED).

 

Interesting, I will try copying the sources.xml over from my main kodi box and see what that does.

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Well then in theory it'll work "standalone", don't see why not and then you can just browse via the web interface but if you have another client they'll show different results the next time you do a library scan on either. It's fairly easy to set up an SQL docker and then use a shared library.

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